Les Boys suits up for TV

Montreal: The Les Boys franchise is gearing up to score more points with its adoring fans – by expanding to TV.

Shooting will begin this spring on a 20 x 30 series based on the blockbuster hockey movies, which will reunite key cast from the movies, says producer Richard Goudreau (Les Boys 1-4) of Montreal’s Melleny Productions.

Les Boys will be broadcast on Radio-Canada next fall – in time for the first movie’s tenth anniversary – and will feature Rémy Girard (Les Bougon), Paul Houde (Le Cercle), Luc Guérin (Détect.inc) and Marc Messier (Lance et compte: La revanche).

‘There is lots to discover with the boys, especially when you have such an incredible ensemble cast,’ says Goudreau.

The writing team includes franchise vets René Brisebois and François Camirand, comic Louis Morissette (C.A.), Daniel Gagnon (Un gars, une fille) and Jean-François Léger (Catherine, Un gars, une fille). François Avard (Les Bougon, C.A.) will be the script editor. Goudreau has yet to hire any directors.

Goudreau says Quebecers have an insatiable appetite for the amateur hockey team made famous by the franchise, which has grossed $23 million at the box office since 1997.

‘They represent real guys. Everyone knows one of Les Boys, whether it’s a brother, an uncle, a cousin or friend,’ he says.

Goudreau is also putting together a writing team for a possible English-language series, and is working on a pitch.

‘It could easily translate. Garage league hockey is even bigger in English Canada than Quebec,’ he says.

This isn’t the first time a popular Quebec film has been made into a television series. Quebec pop culture icon Elvis Gratton, an Elvis impersonator featured in a number of films, will star in a television series on TQS in January.